My Love, My Drug, My Release

New Year's Eve, 1968

"We should've asked Bertie for a ride," I said to my brother, our heads bowed against the freezing wind. Bertie was Paul's current chauffer.

"No, I don't want them to know where we're going."

That was understandable, but the six-block walk to Uncarbonated in subzero weather was almost unbearable. I didn't even really want to go, not with Brandon still out of town. But I couldn't exactly tell Jack that. He still didn't know that my reason for going to that stupid Dada club was to see my secret boyfriend, he just thought I liked the atmosphere. Besides, he'd been off since his run-in with the cops and the eighteen hours he'd spent in jail and could use some cheering up. 

"I hope they don't get worried about us," I said, as we rounded a corner. We slipped out during the New Years party the Beatles were hosting at a venue in St. John's Wood, just across the street from our house. The party was filled to the brim with rock and rollers, and we prayed we wouldn't be missed in the jumble.

Jackson lit up a cigarette once were inside and out of the wind. "Who cares?"

We were quickly found by Vivienne, Elliot, and Jean, all wearing wild costumes. Vivienne walked right up to my brother and licked the side of his face, making me cringe.

"You all came, how splendid," Jean said, her red hair styled into two horns, which went along with a sexy devil outfit, obviously. 

"Is this a costume party?" I asked.

"Not always, we just like to do something to reject how the system tells us to celebrate the New Years," Vivienne explained. 

That was exactly what I hated about this idiotic crowd. They thought they were so edgy and cool, but really they were a parody of themselves. This wasn't a protest to Vivienne; it was an excuse to wear an outfit that was a crude imitation of a middle-eastern belly dancer, something not suited for the weather and thoroughly slutty. And all to ring in the new year. What did champagne and chaste kisses have to do with the establishment anyway?

"You two look fine though," Elliot said. His blue eyes passed over the sparkly dress Linda picked out for me without much interest but lingered on my brother's tight black button-down for a touch too long. "I really like that... belt-buckle Jackson."

Being a homophobe didn't vibe with the tone of Uncarbonated, so Jack tolerated Elliot's advances as best as he could, but it was obvious, at least to me, that they made him uncomfortable. Call me a sadist, but seeing Jackson's pained smile gave me a world of satisfaction.

"Oh, Lorraine, I just remembered, there's someone in the back room who wants to see you," Jean informed me.

I cocked an eyebrow at that information; who would want to see me? But, with Jack distracted, I figured it couldn't hurt. Unless a serial killer was waiting for me. I shoved my way through the drunk bodies, no one seeming to care that I had somewhere to be, I doubted they even saw me; I wasn't much to look at. Even when it was a pointless, useless thought, I couldn't help but dwell on how plain I was. It infected every aspect of my life, weighed me down. At least until I saw who was waiting for me.

"Brandon?" It seemed like a dream, him lying on that beat-up old couch, a red wine-splattered white shirt (probably meant to imitate blood) unbuttoned over his bare torso, sipping a vodka soda from a pink bendy-straw. But it was real. It was him. And he was looking at me with a gaze so steamy, it evaporated every insecurity that had been plaguing me for the past three weeks.

He set his drink down, standing up and smiling at me. "I'm here baby girl, I came back for you."

"For me?" I jumped into his arms, let him lift me off the ground and swing me around.

"You look so beautiful." He kissed my cheek, my forehead, my other cheek, and finally my lips before he looked me in the eyes again. "I figured it out, I figured it all out. We're going to leave in the spring, go to Bordeaux, stay in a house by the water. The place belongs to a family friend; as long as we help with the upkeep, we can live there as long as we like." Tears sprung to my eyes faster than I could blink them away. "What's wrong, love, are you sad?"

I shook my head vigorously. "No, I'm happy." It was the truth, and I didn't even believe myself until I said it out loud. "My house is a bloody nightmare. Jack got arrested the other day, Paul is a tyrant, Linda doesn't care about me. I want to get out of this town. I want to be with you."

He looked down at his watch. "It's officially the New Year."

"Do you want to kiss?"

Shaking his head, he fully removed his shirt, then pulled me to him, skillful hands undoing the hidden zipper on the back of my dress. "I think there's another way I'd liked to ring in 1969 with you."

Sorry for this being so short, but I think it's a cute little chapter, and the plot is thickening!!! Thanks for reading, as always!